Nick Zito was still aglow this morning over Jackson Bend’s victory in the Grade 1
Forego, which, coupled with his win in the James Marvin on opening day, provided
the Hall of Fame trainer a neat bookend for the meet.

“This is, by far, the toughest meet anywhere,” said Zito, who through
Saturday was 4-1-4 from 41 starters. “That’s why it’s a cool thing to win the
Forego, and it’s big. It picked everyone’s heads up around the barn. This is the
No. 1 meet in the country, and the whole nucleus is so competitive. There are so
many good trainers here, nothing else comes remotely close. Not everyone is
blessed with a horse like Jackson Bend.”

Jackson Bend, who is owned by Robert LaPenta, most likely will make his
next start in the Grade 2 Kelso at
Belmont
Park on Super Saturday, October 1, as he
targets the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile a month later.

“If I’m thinking of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, I want to run in the
[one-mile] Kelso,” said Zito. “The Vosburgh is six furlongs, and he’d be at a
disadvantage going three-quarters, and then what? The Breeders’ Cup Sprint? He’s
not a big horse. What is he going to do, weave through the field? We’re going to
stick with the original plan.”